RAF rotorhead warning

[birdy]

Iv just changed me rotor bearing in the wasa, coz last time out the head was maken a "new" sound as the blades spun down. Wen they stoped, i checked and there seemed to be alota slop in the bearing.Turns out the bearing, bout 1100 hours old, was still perfect.The movement was comen from the mounting.The more i see of my RAF the more i scratch me head at the "engineering" of RAF.The bearing retaining washer, the one that goes under the bolt head, showed signs of bearing spin, but the "stump" the bearing sits on was still orrite.The fit between the bearing inner and the stump was like a dic ina shirt sleave.This bad fittting coupled with the soft aluminium retaining washer ment that every time the rotors took weigh, the bearing would slide up and hit the washer, and over time, it hammered a groove into the washer.And coz the rotor bolt head is only a 3/4 and not 1", the washer had buggerall support. This caused the washer to bend up ever so slightly every time the bearing hit it.Hate to think how much longer i had before the washer let go compleatly and the hole head took off without me.I replaced the bearing with sum lock tite and replaced the soft alu retainer witha steel one. Theres a pic of the buggered washer on the yank forum under the same topic name if you wana see it.

[bones]

No wonder the way i seen you fly

[tonydenton]

can you put in a link please, other wise i"m stuffed

[Des Garvin]

See a glass house situation here Bones from a post by the law. Cheers Des Garvin

[birdy]

ere ya go Tonyhttp://www.rotaryforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26945

[tonydenton]

thanks dave , **** you had a close one alright.